This invention relates generally to the field of wheelchairs, and more specifically to a protective cover for the wheelchair tires to protect the user and his environment from hazardous contaminates.
Wheelchairs are well known in the art, being the subject of well over a thousand United States patents. Motive power for a wheelchair may be provided by an electric motor, or more commonly, by the hands and arms of the wheelchair user. By pushing or pulling on one or both of the main wheels of a wheelchair, a user is able to propel a wheelchair either forward, backward, or through a turn. Manually powered wheelchairs are equipped with push rings attached to each of the main wheels. The push rings provide a clean, smooth surface for the user to grip in order to propel, steer and stop the wheelchair. Because the tires of a wheelchair must necessarily roll over and through any variety of surfaces, they typically become contaminated with foreign matter and often become contaminated with substances that are hazardous to the health of the wheelchair user. The push rings generally provide the user with an alternative to touching the contaminated tire surface. However, because the push rings generally have a smaller diameter than the tires, and because they are typically made with a smooth metal surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the tires, it is at times not possi the required driving force through the push rings as may otherwise be exerted by gripping the tires. Push rings are sometimes wrapped with a cloth or leather wrap to improve the user""s grip, however, wheelchair users often find themselves using the tires to propel the wheelchair in spite of the contaminated surface of the tire.
It should be appreciated that the tire surface and any associated crevices, such as the inside of the tire tread, are prone to accumulate foreign substances that are not only unpleasant to touch but may also present a critical health hazard to the wheelchair user. It is generally thought that various viruses and bacteria survive for an extended period of time within the crevices of a wheelchair tire. Such hazardous contaminations may be transferred to the wheelchair user""s hands, and from the hands to the user""s eyes, nose, mouth and any cut or abrasion in the skin. Such hazardous contaminates can also be transferred to any companion of the wheelchair user coming in contact with the contaminated tire or wheelchair user. In order to provide a degree of protection from such health hazardous contamination, wheelchair users often utilize gloves to isolate their hands from contamination present on the wheelchair tires. Gloves provide only a limited protection from a direct contamination of the hands because wheelchair gloves are designed without finger coverage. Therefore, the user is still at a health risk if he/she touches the contaminated tire with his/her fingers or touches any other part of the body with the contaminated glove or fingers.
In addition to protecting the user and immediate companions, there is also the need to protect against the spread of contamination onto non-contaminated flooring surfaces. In particular, after moving a wheelchair over a surface contaminated with a foreign substance, the user may desire to move the wheelchair onto a clean surface, such as the carpet in his/her home. Simply rolling the wheelchair over a clean surface may remove the bulk of foreign matter on the tires, thus making the tires appear clean. However, invisible contaminants may remain, as well as bulk contamination within the tire treads. Once inside the home, this contamination will spread, particularly onto carpets, thereby turning what is normally a safe home environment into a health hazardous space.
Various devices have been developed to clean the tires of a wheelchair prior to rolling onto a clean surface. One such device is the cleaning apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,180 issued on Jan. 19, 1999 to Heise. However, known cleaning devices are inconvenient to store and to use and they are costly. Furthermore, even after a wheelchair tire is cleaned with one of the prior art cleaning devices, it may still leave marks on a light colored rug or floor, such as when a black tire is turned sharply on a white tile floor, thereby leaving a skid mark. Tire designs having a desirable aggressive tread pattern are more prone to leaving skid marks on a light colored surface. More advantaged wheelchair users will often have one set of gray tires for indoor use and a separate set of standard, deep tread, black rubber bicycle tires for outdoor use.
Thus there is a particular need for an apparatus and method for protecting against the spread of hazardous contamination by wheelchair tires. Such a device and method should desirably be inexpensive and simple for a wheelchair user to operate. Advantageously, such device and method may also protect against the accidental marking of a light colored floor or rug.
Accordingly, a wheelchair is described herein comprising a chair portion; a wheel rotatingly attached to the chair portion; a tire attached around a rim of the wheel; and a cover removably attached around the tire. Also disclosed herein, is a method for protecting against the spread of contamination by a wheelchair tire, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cover adapted to be removably installed over a wheelchair tire; and covering a contaminated wheelchair tire with the cover prior to rolling the tire onto a surface to be protected from contamination.